Mahou
by Shesta
Summary: Chapter 3 finally uploaded! Includes the continuation of the amazing adventures of Chibi-Gun! In this chapter, you get a little more insight into Nomi's world. Also, Vash and Knives go shopping! A little OOC action for us all!
1. Itai

Obviously, I don't own Trigun.  If I did, I wouldn't be sitting in front of a computer typing a stupid story and not getting paid for it.

Shesta:  A new fan fiction, a new character, and a new set of Chibi-Guns!  

Vash:  Yeah, yeah… as long as Shesta can keep being half-way funny.

*SMACK*

Shesta:  SO… they're starting after the first chapter.

Vash:  @_@__

Shesta:  As for the name _Mahou, many of you five readers probably know that mahou means magic.  __Boku_,_ the prequel to this story, was named what it was because of the Second Donuts Happy Pack… if you don't know what I mean, gomen nasai.  It's hard to explain.  If you really want to know, e-mail me.  This story is named _Mahou___ since I was re-reading what I've written so far and though that Nomi just seemed to have the magic tough with Knives.  So, it's magic._

_Mahou:  The Sequel to _Boku___ Ending Two_

_Chapter One:  Itai_

            Knives stared out the window at the starlit sky.  For the first time he regretted what he had done.

            _"It didn't have to end like this!  Knives, it didn't have to end this way!"_

Knives pulled his legs to his chest and sighed.  He knew there wouldn't be any sleep tonight either.  Every time he closed his eyes he saw Vash's pained face.  Every time his attention drifted he heard Vash's shuddering face.  He regretted killing a human.

            "Vash did this to me," Knives thought to himself, "but I don't only feel pain for hurting Vash… I actually feel pain for the child…"

            After the ordeal, Vash had wandered out of the house and buried Remil by himself.  He had fallen asleep on her grave, but none of them could find the strength to wake him.  It was now three days since Knives had killed the child and Vash still refused to enter the house.  He stayed by the tiny grave, refusing to eat or drink.  Tonight Meryl had decided she would stay with him, so Milly and Knives were left to the house.

            Milly had tried to comfort Knives on numerous occasions, but every time she seemed distant, as though not even she could find it in her heart to forgive him.  Thinking of Milly made Knives' chest feel warm.  Another human emotion was rising inside of him because of Vash.  Knives mumbled and closed his eyes.  Vash's face appeared before him and his eyes flew open again.  Another sleepless night began.

            Meryl watched Vash's chest rise and fall.  His sleeping face looked peaceful and yet tortured at the same time.  She knew it was wrong, but seeing Vash like this made her hate Knives.  Vash had told her before he had fallen asleep that she shouldn't blame Knives for what happened.  He told her that people have many different ways of thinking and that because he did what he thought was right, no fingers could be pointed.  Meryl could see in his eyes that he was trying to make himself believe his own words.

            "How can you still care for him," Meryl whispered, "when he is everything you strived not to be…"

            As if to respond, Vash's steady breathing slowed.  Meryl placed a hand in his disheveled blonde hair and sighed.  She knew why he still cared for Knives.  Vash had told her every aspect of their past.  He had gone into gruesome detail on the files of Tessla*.  Vash had told Meryl through his stories that, when they were children, Knives was the only person Vash could truly trust.  Meryl wrapped her arms around Vash, lightly kissed him, and fell asleep.

            A person cloaked in a ragged brown blanket stood atop the pile of rubble.  The person gazed out at the endless desert then down at the ruins.

            "You lookin' for a town?" and old man sat in a tattered rocking chair on a flat slab of debris.  The cloaked figure looked down at the man.  The man puffed on a cigar and ran a dirt caked hand through his greasy grey hair, "Vash the Stampede gone and destroyed this one.  You best go back the way you came."

            "Where is Vash the Stampede now?" the feathery voice from under the cloak made the man jump.

            "Golly… How do ya's like that?  I didn't'a realize you was a woman," the man stared up at the cloaked figure.

            "Where is Vash the Stampede now?" the voiced repeated in the same light tone.

            "Well… uh… some say he made his way out ta the desert and is probably long gone now," the man scratched his head and looked at the horizon, "others say he be out squattin' in the ol' Sato place.  Figure with them huge, white wings he'd be pretty easy to spot, ya know?"

            "Where is this Sato place?" the woman didn't change her tone.

            "Well if ya just wait 'til the sun comes up you'll see it.  Big green patch 'a land a few iles from here," the man threw his cigar to the ground, "What business you got wit' 'em?  You a bounty hunter lookin' for that monster reward?"

            The woman pulled the blanket from over her head and jumped down next to the man.  Her long, dark hair cascaded down the cloak, a single piercing, green eye locked on the man, the other eye hidden behind a lock of dark hair.  The man was speechless at her beauty and could only stare as she turned and walked towards the horizon.

            Knives pulled open the door and walked outside.  He looked up and sighed.  He had never seen a bluer sky and something inside him wanted Vash to be standing next to him, looking up at it.  Knives mumbled and walked across the porch.

            "Mr. Knives!" Milly dashed from the house and grabbed him by the arm.

            Knives felt his face burning at her touch.  "What is this sensation I get when around this human?"  Knives thought as he looked down at her smiling face.

            "Mr. Knives, are you going to the town at the other side of the house?" Milly kept the same stupid grin on her face as they strode towards the edge of the yard, "Meryl and I found out there's a car behind the house.  Meryl was going to go to that town for supplies, but she's with Mr. Vash."

            Knives stopped.  He shook Meryl from his arm and stared down at her.

            "Don't you ever shut up?" Knives snapped, "Every time I'm stuck with you all you do is talk for hours about things I don't give a shit about.  Why do you have to bother me?  What's the matter with you?  You're just a pathetic human.  You have no right to talk to me."

            "M-Mr. Knives… I… I…" Milly's face was red.  She stared up at him in shock.

            Knives felt his cheeks burning hotter.  He hated this feeling.  This feeling was too human for him.  He had felt similar to this back on the ship with Rem.  Knives looked at the ground.

            "Go away," he mumbled, "looking at you is making my stomach turn."

            Milly rubbed her eyes and smiled, "Okay… I'm sorry Mr. Knives…  Have a nice trip…"  Milly turned and ran back to the house, holding back her tears.

            "It's for the best," now the burning was moving down his chest, tightening in his heart, "I'd just hurt her… not… that it matters."

            Knives bit his lip and turned back towards the house.

            "I was dreaming, Rem," Vash was laying in the sky, the red geranium petals floating around him, "I was with all the people I cared about, but no matter what happened I couldn't be happy"

            "Sometimes things happen that make us sad, but as long as we are thankful for who we are with, the sad things won't be nearly as bad," Rem was laying beside him now.  She smiled.

            "It's so hard though… It's so hard to smile when things like these keep happening," Vash closed his eyes, "An innocent child was killed, and that isn't the first time something like this happened."

            "Life is filled with good things and bad things," Rem watched the flower petals, "you simply have to look at life as though it takes many bad things to equal one good thing.  People may die prematurely, but if you think of all the good things that happened when you were together, doesn't that make you feel happier?"  Rem smiled again and began to fade away.

            "NO!  Rem, please don't go yet!  I need you!" Vash sat up quickly, but she was already gone, "REM!"

            "REM!" Vash screamed and jumped up.

            "Vash?" Meryl gasped as Vash jumped up.

            Vash looked around.  Rem was gone.  He looked down at Meryl and frowned as she stared up at him with a terrified look on her face.  He sighed and sat back down next to her.

            "Vash, are you okay?" Meryl rubbed his back.  Her heart was still racing from Vash's sudden movement.

            "I… just had a dream is all," Vash looked over at Remil's grave.

            "Milly?" Meryl had turned her gaze from Vash to Milly as she ran towards the porch, hands covering her eyes.  Meryl jumped up and ran to her, Vash following close after.

            "What happened?" Vash followed Meryl and Milly as they walked into the house.

            Milly sat in the den and Meryl sat next to her.  Meryl put her arms around Milly and hugged her.  Vash sat on the floor in front of the girls.

            "Oh, Meryl…" Milly sniffed, "Mr. Knives… he…"

            Vash narrowed his eyes as Milly recalled what Knives had said to her.

            Knives stopped before the porch.  He turned and looked back at the tree covered area he had just come from.  He knew he could very easily just turn and walk away from everything, but something was pulling him forward, forcing him to stay with his dear brother and the humans.  He turned and looked at the beaten area where the child's grave was.  He sighed and walked towards it.

            Knives knelt by the grave and placed a hand on the bare earth.  He could feel the beating of the Plant that was growing the land.

            "That's what I can do," Knives whispered, as he felt the pulsing, "That's what I can do to make up for all I've done to Vash."  He stood and looked down at the grave, then turned and headed for the house.

            "I just wanted to be friends with Mr. Knives," Milly sniffed.

            "There's no helping that man," Meryl mumbled and she pulled Milly close.

            Vash stood up and walked towards the door.

            "Vash?" Meryl watched Vash.

            Vash placed a hand on the doorknob just as the door opened.  He stood face to face with his brother.  Meryl and Milly looked up.

            "Vash…" Knives gasped.

            "Knives, what the hell do you think you're doing?  Milly just wants to be…" Vash couldn't finish.  Knives had him in an embrace and Vash could feel liquid dropping down his neck.

            "He's crying," Vash thought in shock.  He could feel Knives' stance weakening and the next moment they were both sitting on the floor in front of the door.

            Meryl and Milly left their place in the den and moved closer for the huddled forms, looks of disbelief on both of their faces.

***Author's Note:  In the Trigun manga (more specifically in Trigun Maximum Volume 7: Happy Days.) While on the SEEDS ship, Vash and Knives discovered hidden files on a Plant that was born before them.  This was a girl named Tessla.  When Tessla reached the age that Vash and Knives were when they found the files, gruesome experiments were run on her.  Tessla quickly declined in health.  She had cancerous tumors riddling her body.  Her hair and teeth began to fall out.  The crew proceeded with their experiments and Tessla died.  After reading the files, Vash and Knives found images of Tessla's dissection.  The crew had removed her arms, removed the Angel Arm from her right one, her internal organs were removed from her body, but left attached, and her brain was removed with the eyes still attached.**

                After views the files, Knives fainted and Vash's mental state declined.  Rem found the boys in the operation room where the files were found.  She apologized for what happened to Tessla, stating that she knew what was going on and house have stopped it before it went so far.  Vash refused to trust Rem and would not eat.  She brought him fruits and began peeling it.  When she set down the knife, Vash grabbed it and attempted to slit his own throat.  Rem grabbed the knife by the blade.  The site of Rem's blood seemed to frenzy Vash and he proceeded to stab her.  He smiled a wicked, Knives-ish smile as Rem lay motionless on the floor, then, releasing what he had done, tended to her wounds.

                When Rem came to, she explained everything to Vash and told him about a dream she had while he stared at her all kawaii sipping on a juice pack.  Knives came to later and seemed to block from his memory the Tessla files.  Vash wanted his brother informed so he and Rem filled Knives back in on the files.  So the insanity of Knives that was barely explained in the series can be related greatly to this little Tessla incident.

_The New Adventures of Chibi-Gun_

*Knives drags in two DDR pads and a Playstation 2*

Vash:  What's this?

Knives:  Battling failed, playing Go failed, so what left?

Vash:  …Whatta you mean?

Knives:  We have to prove which one of us is stronger.  If we don't, there's no individuality!

Vash:  Whoa… Déjà vu…

Knives:  *sets up the DDR game* So I decided to do something practical.  We'll dance non-stop and see who drops first.

Vash:  ….

Knives:  JUST GET ON!

*both hope on their respective pads and start the game*

Knives:  Alright I'll pick a tough song… how about this one.  *starts MAX 300*

Vash and Knives:  Yoooooshi… *the arrows start and both flail*

Vash:  HOLY….

Knives:  HELL…

*both are barely standing, but, amazingly, are hitting all the arrows*

Legato:  KNIVES-SAMA! *flies into the room and glomps Knives, taking Vash down in the process*

Knives:  …you…stupid…piece…of…. garbage…

*Legato nuzzles Knives then glares at Vash*

Vash:  Are you in love with my brother or something?

*Legato licks his left hand and grins \*

Vash:  OH FOR THE LOVE AND PEACE! *runs off screaming*

Knives:  Back to square one… *tries unsuccessfully to peal off Legato*


	2. Unmei

Vash:  It's started!  The new fan fiction is up and running!

Knives:  Yep, and it's all about me!  Finally giving the audience what they wanna see, Shesta?

Shesta:  Just keep telling yourself that…

Wolfwood:  *whispers* Can I come out yet?

Vash, Knives, and Shesta:  NO!

*Wolfwood wimpers*

Legato:  KNIVES-SAMA!  *glomps*  KNIVES-SAMA I CONTROLLED THE MIND OF SHESTA TO MAKE SURE YOU RULED THIS STORY, KNIVES-SAMA!

Knives:  Geh…

Vash:  Seriously, dude, you have a major problem… What's your obsession with my brother anyways?

Legato:  Dill pickles taste yummy.  I could eat them all day long.

Shesta, Vash, and Knives: O.o''''''

*Legato prances around in his pickle suit, stops, looks at Vash, and licks his left hand*

Vash:  Okay that's it!  Screw the no killing belief!  *lunges at Legato with a rubber chicken*

Knives:  I WON!  MWAHAHAHHAHHAHAHHAHHAHAHHHAHAHAHAHAHAHHA!

_Chapter Two:  Unmei_

Vash could feel Knives rolling in a restless sleep next to him.  He sighed and rolled over to face his brother, shocked to discover that he was awake.

            "Knives?" Vash whispered, "What are you doing?"

            Knives pushed his forehead to Vash's and closed his eyes, "I'm going to do something for you… I have to do this," his whisper was harsh and shaky.

            Vash felt his face burning.  Knives had been acting strangely since earlier that day.  He had seen his brother cry, but not in that way since he was a child.  Knives had seemed to be pained and regretful.  Vash knew that Knives was regretting what he had done to Remil, so he agreed to sleep in the house tonight.

            "Knives?" Vash bit his bottom lip as Knives pulled his arms around him.

            "Let's go," Knives whispered into Vash's ear.

            "Where?"  Vash whispered back.

            "To the grave," Knives' voice was barely audible.

            The woman stopped at the edge of the grassy area.  She pulled the cloak back over her face and knelt down in the sand.

            "It amazes me still that this I possible," she murmured.  She laid a hand on the cool grass and smiled, "I'm sure that he could make the entire planet like this if he tried."

            She stood up and stepped onto the grass.  She paused and took in her sudden change in surroundings.  Trees and flowers grew wildly out of the grass.  The woman looked through the trees and spotted her destination.  She began to walk.

            Nights seemed colder than they used to be.  Vash shivered and wrapped his arms around himself.  He stared down at the tiny grave and frowned.

            "Why are we here, Knives?" Vash growled.

            "You have the power to destroy a city," Knives kept his eyes locked on the grave, "and I have the power to destroy the people in it."

            Vash looked at Knives.  Vash could tell by the pain in his brother's eyes that he wasn't planning on destroying mankind.

            "When Legato and the Gung-ho Guns destroyed the people living in a city, I chose to walk through the damage and survey it.  When I did, I found a group of humans that were still alive and, of course, I chose to take their lives," there was remorse in Knives' voice that shocked Vash, "but when I released my Angel Arm, it somehow revived the people that were dead, as well as destroying the ones that were alive."

            Vash looked at his brother in shock.  The shock was not from his destroying the innocent people who escaped Legato's wrath, but that of this newfound ability he way being told of.

            "Today it became clear to me just what I had to do," Knives faced Vash, "I'll revive one of your friends."

            "W-what?" Vash gasped.  He could see lines of liquid under Knives' eyes gleaming in the moonlight.

            "Choose one person you would like revived," Knives moved in closer, "Either the child or you dear friend, Nicholas D. Wolfwood."

            Vash's eyes bulged, "I… don't understand.  Don't you need a body?  And why are you doing this?" A thought flashed in Vash's mind, "What about Rem?"

            "I experimented with my ability… and I discovered that I didn't need a body to revive a person.  Children were revived simply by a toy left behind, elderly people were revived in their rocking chairs.  The only thing I couldn't revive was a Plant that had died…" Knives placed a hand in Vash's hair, "And as for Rem, I tried to revive her.  I thought if I did then you might come to my side sooner, but everything directly Rem's was destroyed in the explosion."

            "So… you'll bring back Remil or Wolfwood for me?" Vash felt his chest tightening.  He knew he was going to be left with a difficult decision.

            "Before you decide, I want to tell you something about him," Knives' voice was hushed, "It wasn't an accident that you met Nicholas.  He was hired by me to locate, follow, and protect you."

            Vash stared in disbelief at Knives.  This couldn't be the truth, could it?  That would mean Wolfwood was no different than the Gung-ho Guns, except instead of testing him, Wolfwood was meant to protect him.  Vash knew that there was more to Wolfwood than he let off, that he had known something about Knives without Vash telling him anything.

            "But," Knives interrupted Vash's thoughts, "he began protecting you because he _wanted _to, not because he was paid to.  He became unfaithful and unreasonable.  However, that does not change the fact he was one of the Gung-ho Guns, or that he had an alternative reason for finding you after the Augusta incident.  Now, I'll give you ten minutes to decide."

            Knives' words were still sinking into Vash's mind, "why only one?"

            "Reviving is more tiring on the body than the simple use of an Angel Arm.  If I revive two souls, that may very well be the enough to blacken the rest of my hair," Knives motioned to the black streak in the middle of his blonde hair, "In fact, reviving one person is risky, but I'm willing to risk it."

            Vash felt tears begin to well up in his eyes.  He tried to blink them away, but his vision began to blur.  He lunged forward and pulled his arms around Knives.

            "I can't risk that!" Vash sobbed, "You're my brother… My only family… I can't let you risk yourself like that!"  
            Knives smiled.  He was beginning to enjoy these brotherly moments.  He pulled Vash away and patted him on the head, "I'll feel much better doing this for you."

            Vash sniffed and rubbed his eyes.  He looked down at the tiny grave.  Knives was serious.  He wanted Vash to choose somebody and wouldn't stop until he did.

            "Remil's life was cut so short, but caring for a child will be extremely difficult," Vash wiped his eyes, "but Wolfwood…"  Vash's gaze had moved to the tree covered yard in front of the house.  He felt his heart quicken as a dark figure moved towards them.

            "Vash the Stampede, I presume," a woman's voice floated from the figure.

            Knives stepped in front of Vash and glared at the figure.  The figure stepped into the moonlight and her features became visible.  Knives and Vash both lost their breath at the figure as she walked up to them.

            "You're a difficult man to track down, Master Vash," the woman stopped in front of the brother and smiled.

            "Who… who are you?" Vash was captivated by the woman and pushed Knives to the side.  He blinked at her and scratched his head, "_Master _Vash?"

            The woman knelt down in front of Vash and grabbed his hand.  He laid her hand on the scar and smiled, "I've been searching for you, Master Vash.  I know very much about you and I have finally found you, my love."

            "Love?" Vash and Knives yelped in unison.  The brother's looked at each other, confusion across their faces.

            The woman release Vash's hand, "Of course, I've waited for this moment for nearly a decade.  I knew from the moment I saw the angel die that I was meant to serve the most magnificent angel of all… You, Master Vash."

            Meryl set a steaming glass of tea in front of the woman then sat next to Vash.  She narrowed her eyes at the figure sitting at the other end of the table.

            "So, tell me again," Meryl growled, "What is your reason for coming here, Miss…"

            "Nomi Ito..  Call me Nomi," the woman smiled at the scowling Meryl, "I'm here to become Master Vash's."

            "Uh… huh…," Meryl bit her lip to stop herself from saying something she might regret.

            Knives sat across from Milly, but her eyes were locked on Nomi.  She seemed oblivious to the fact she was being watched.

            "Nomi-sama?" Milly had been watching Nomi since Vash had taken them downstairs to meet her, "Is your outfit… a Taike Plant Engineering Preparatory School uniform?"  Vash, Meryl, and Knives stared at Milly, but she kept her gaze on Nomi, "And isn't that a SEEDS ship memorial badge?  Aren't you wearing it on the wrong side?"

            Now even Nomi seemed surprised, "Uh… yes… Would you all like to know the story behind this?"  She gazed across the table, seemingly only asking Vash.

            "Oh, yes yes," Milly smiled at Nomi, "I love stories!"

            Nomi smiled at Milly, "Alright.  My family has run the Plant system of July City ever since the city was first built.  After the destruction, they worked to rebuild the Plant system to create New July City.  As my parent's only child, I went to Taike at the age of six to begin my training for Head Plant Engineer.  However, when I turned twelve I saw an event that changed my life…"

            Only Meryl seemed un-enthralled in Nomi's story.  She looked up at Vash and frowned.  How could she possibly measure up to this beautiful woman who obviously worships the group he walks on?  She sighed and took at sip of her tea.

            "I was running through the Plant station looking for my parents.  It was my birthday and I had just gotten home from school.  I found them standing around a Plant with a bunch of scientists and engineers.  I ran up to my father's side and looked up, but I caught sight of the Plant…  It was screaming… screaming… crying… I could feel my heart skip a beat…  The Plant was screaming in pain…  My parents saw me and panicked.  They tried to pull me away, but I saw it," tears were welling up in Nomi's eyes as she forced out her words, "I saw the Plant's hair turn black as it screamed in pain and released a huge glowing light…  And then it was lying motionless on the bottom of its bulb… My life changed when I saw that Plant die… Suddenly, I felt disgusted with myself for being excited about becoming a Plant engineer…  I saw how much pain the Plant was in…"

            Meryl had become drawn into the story, much to her own dismay.  Now that Nomi was sobbing and Milly was comforting her, Meryl looked up at Vash.  It was then she noticed something she hadn't before, the large amount of black hair across the sides of his hair and around the back.  Her eyes widened and she looked at Knives.  He had a thick streak going down the middle of his hair.  She placed a hand over her mouth and felt her stomach turn.

            Knives crept to the corner of the house and peered around it.  Nomi was sitting in group of purple and red flowers with a tiny bird chirping on her finger.  She smiled and whistled to the tune the bird was singing.  Knives hadn't seen a human so upset about the treatment of Plants since Rem.  However, something was different about this woman, something that caused Knives to have an urge to be near her.

            "Knives," the voice made Knives jump.  He spun around and found himself face to face with Vash, "I made my decision."

            "What?" Knives blinked and tried to look back around the corner of the house, but Vash pulled his away.

            "Who I want revived.  What's the matter with you?" Vash frowned and flopped onto the ground.  Knives sat next to him and shook his head, "Before I say my choice though, I want you to answer me some questions."

            "Uh huh," Knives turned away from Vash, but couldn't see around the corner of the building.  Vash grabbed Knives' shoulders and pulled him forward.

            "God, Knives, pay attention," Vash growled, "First question, if you knew about this, why didn't you use your power to revive Plants?  Second question, why didn't you use it to revive your minions?  And third, how could Wolfwood be revived without a body?"

Knives finally turned his focus to Vash, "I tried it on the Plants, but it doesn't seem to work.  I don't understand why myself.  Second, the Gung-ho Guns and Legato lived to serve me.  They were only working for me for as long as I needed them and then their duty was to die for me.  And thirdly, all that you need is an item that has the person's spirit attached to it.  I found that out through many trials.  Do you have an item like that?"

Vash looked at the sky and sighed, "Yes… During our battle, when I was lying on the ground, I heard Wolfwood's voice tell me that his Cross Punisher was next to me.  That's how I knew it was there to use it on you.  I guess that Wolfwood's spirit is still attached to it."

"So it that your choice?" Knives mumbled.  He had a feeling Vash would choose Nicholas and he wasn't looking forward to seeing the man again.

"I…," Vash closed his eyes.  Remil's life was cut so short, but Wolfwood had helped him so much.  He knew what he had to do, "Yes… Wolfwood…"  As soon as the words left his mouth he felt regret.

Knives stood up, "Alright then.  Tonight, when the girls are asleep, meet me in the child's room.  Now, go back inside and don't mention this to them."  Knives watched Vash as he stood up and walked back into the house.  He smirked and crept back to the corner of the house.  He peered around, but Nomi was no longer sitting in the flowers.  He frowned and sighed.  He took a step around the building and looked around.

"Mr. Knives, is it?" Knives jumped and spun around, but he couldn't find the source of the heavenly voice, "Up here!" the voice giggled from above.

Knives looked up.  Nomi was sitting in one of the trees, her long legs draped over the side.  She lay down on the branch and smiled down at him.

"I know about Master Vash, Miss Meryl, and Miss Milly, but I'm afraid all I know is that you are Mr. Knives," Nomi picked a flower from the tree and dropped it on Knives' head.

"I'm Vash's twin brother," Knives mumbled, "but I'm older."

Nomi sat up, "You're a Plant too?"

Knives' eyes grew large, "How do you…?"

Nomi jumped off the limp and brushed dirt off of her skirt.  She looked up at Knives and smiled, "I knew there was something different about you," she stepped on her tiptoes and moved her face close to Knives'.  Knives felt his cheeks burn, "I tried to ignore the fact I felt an attraction for you… I thought it couldn't be true since you weren't a Plant.  I'm glad I wasn't wrong, Master Knives."  She set her feet flat and bowed to Knives, she then turned and dashed to the front of the house.  Knives stared after her, face red and completely speechless.

_The New Adventures of Chibi-Gun_

Knives:  Heh heh heh ^_^'''''' 

Vash:  Kniiiives… you're blushing.

Legato:  NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!  KNIVES-SAMA!  SHE'S A HUMAN!  A HUMAN!  You've just been taken down in my respect level a peg.  A WHOLE PEG!

Vash:  Legato's respect?  Isn't that like an oxymoron?

*Legato anger-marks*

Knives:  This entire story is so out of character for me…

Wolfwood:  *whispers* Can I come out yet?

Vash, Knives, and Legato:  NO!

Shesta:  Don't worry, Wolfwood.  I'll make work you into chapter three.

Nomi:  MASTER KNIVES! *glomps*

Legato:  O.O NAAAAAAAAAAAAAANIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!?!??!?!?!?!??!?!?  *stomps over to Nomi*  THAT… IS… MY… JOB!  THAT'S THE ONLY THING I DO IN THESE STUPID POINTLESS WASTES OF SPACE CALLED CHIBI-GUNS!

Nomi:  Well maybe you need a new job.  *sticks her tongue out*

Legato:  *anger-marks multiply* Fine…  Then I'll make my job this.  *licks his hand repeatedly*

Vash:  DEAR GOD NO!  *runs off screaming*


	3. Velvet Dress

*Vash limps around with a cane, holding his back*

Vash:  'Tis been 'long time since we gone seen you 'roun these parts, Shesta.

Shesta:  Yeah, you know, settling in to college and-

*banging on closet door*

*twitches*

Shesta:  And assignments and labs and-

*more banging*

*twitch twitch*

Shesta:  And… stuff…  Vash?  Has Wolfwood been in the closet since the last chapter?

Vash:  Um… *backs away*

Shesta:  After all the trouble of coming up with a way to revive him and you go and try to kill him again!  *runs to closet*  *rips open door*

O.o

*skeleton falls out*

*twitch*

Knives:  YAY!  Wolfwood's finally outta the closet!  *grabs Vash and makes a mad dash in*

Shesta:  Ah…  So continues my crazy dream...  *pulls open a Trigun VxK doujinshi…*

_________________Chapter Three:  Velvet Dress____________________

Vash pulled on his boots and stood up.  Knives was already waiting outside for him.  Vash sighed and stepped out the door.  Rock-paper-scissors has decided him and Knives to go to the nearest town for supplies.  He walked up to Knives and the two of them got into the car that now sat in front of the house.  Vash started the car and drove off.

Meryl watched them leave from the window.  Both Vash and Knives had been acting strangely since that morning.

"Sempai!" Milly ran to Meryl's side.

"Milly, I told you," Meryl sighed, "you don't have to be so formal."

"Sorry semp—Meryl," Milly smiled, "Miss Nomi wants to talk to us."

Meryl frowned.  She didn't trust that girl and didn't see why they were letting her stay in the house.  She followed Milly out of the room.

"Ah!  Miss Meryl!  Miss Milly!" Nomi went to stand, but Meryl shook her head, "Ah… yes… well… There was more to my story that I didn't get to say before.  I didn't want Master Vash and Master Knives to hear it just yet though."

Meryl sat next to Milly and glared across the table at Nomi.  Nomi shifted in her seat.

"Give me the list and the money!  You'll just spoil all the money on food," Knives tore the items from Vash's hand.

"Well, that's what we're supposed to get is food!" Vash snatched them back.

"Well, I meant you'd waste it on junk food!"  Knives grabbed the money and list back again and Vash whimpered.  They walked down the side of the street searching for a grocery store.

"Hey… Knives…" Vash was looking around nervously, "We're being watched by… well… everybody here."

Knives mumbled, "Rotten scum… Humans have nothing better to do than watch and judge."

"Actually," Vash stopped, "I think it may be the outfits."

Knives turned and stared at Vash, then looked himself up and down.  He was wearing his red and white bodysuit and Vash was wearing his tattered red coat, "As I said… rotten scum… obviously rotten scum without any sense in fashion."

Vash blinked then laughed, "Did my dear brother just make a joke?  Come on, I have some extra money… let's go clothes shopping."  Vash smiled and grabbed his brother's shoulder.  They smiled at each other and walked into the nearest clothing store.

"After I ran away from home I joined a Plant worshiping group," Nomi folded her hands on the table, "I dropped my last name so they wouldn't recognize me as the daughter of such a famous Plant family.  We staged protests and broke into Plant facilities… but the group was bound to go under.  Many of the members were runaways as well and nobody would give any of us jobs.  About two years after I joined, the group leader said we needed a miracle to live.  It was then that we heard the news that thrilled many of the members…  The leads of one of the largest Plant facilities on Gunsmoke had died in a Plant malfunction explosion.  The names of the leads… Coneie and Klive Ito… my parents…"

Meryl found herself engrossed again.  As much as she felt she disliked this girl, the more she became interested in her past.  She tried to keep her face stern, but could tell by Nomi's smile that she was failing.

"I went to my parents' funeral and ran into one of their employees.  He was kind to me as a child and would always give me treats whenever I came to the Plant, so he recognized me right away.  He told me that my parents knew I would come back someday, so when searches for me had turned up nothing they re-wrote their will leaving their entire fortune, as well as the Plant facility and their estate, solely to me," Nomi looked at her hands.  Her smile was fading, "I kept the facility and the estate in my name, but turned them over to the man for care.  I kept my parents' cash card, however, and went back to the Plant group.  I funded them with everything they needed.  They never asked how I got so much money, although I think some of them had an idea who I was by that time.  With more money, we were now able to research a phenomenon that had fascinated the group since its creation.  This was the rumors surrounding Vash the Stampede."

Vash and Knives wandered clumsily around the store.  Vash had noticed many girls giggling from the corners of the store or from behind stacks of clothes.  He smiled at every one and, unsuccessfully, tried to get Knives to do the same.

"Hey, apparently these girls don't get to see such handsome guys that often," Vash grinned, "The least you could do is give them some candy."  Vash nudged his brother's arm.

Knives frowned and looked at the blushing girls.  Such pathetic wastes of space.  Knives looked at his brother's goofy grin, then looked back at the girls.  He felt his stomach churning as he "gave them candy" and grinned an uncomfortable, clumsy grin.  Sufficed with this half-assed gesture, the girls giggled and shuffled away.

"Hey!  I can make a human-lover out of you yet!" Vash grinned and looked down at the clothes, "You know, the last time I bought clothes was with Lina…" Vash's smiled turned from goofy to pained.  Knives frowned.  Vash was burying himself in the past again.

"Now!  From that experience I learned a valuable lesson!" Vash stood straight and pointed at a door in the back of the room, "Always try your clothes on before you buy!"  Vash threw shirts at Knives and pulls him to the changing room.

Knives looked at his reflection in the mirror blankly.  He was dressed in a black shirt with a tall collar.  He looked over at his brother who was trying on a white shirt.

"Oi…" Knives mumbled, "I can see myself in your pants."

Vash quickly turned around, "What the hell…?"

"Your pants," Knives blinked and walked forward, "they're shiny.  I can see my reflection in them."

Vash raised an eyebrow and took a step back, "Uh… huh…"  He turned back to the mirror and removed the shirt.  Knives continued staring at him.

"Ya know, it's kind of freaky having your brother… you know… watching you strip," Vash laughed nervously.

"That didn't go over well," Vash rubbed his head, "You sure you didn't like any of that stuff?"

Knives was wandering around the displays.  He sighed and stopped by a row of button down shirts.  "I like the blue one," Knives pulled out a blue shirt and handed a green one to Vash, "And this would look good on you.  Now let's go."  Knives stumbled away, girls that had lined up behind them split to let him through.

"Another successful trip of brotherly bonding!" Vash said sarcastically.  He walked after Knives to the counter and didn't realize when his brother stopped.  He smacked into Knives' back and fell backwards, "Hey, why'd you stop?" Vash stood up and brushed dirt off of himself.  He faced Knives to see him standing in front of a light red dress, "Uh… I hate to break it to you, but I don't think those come in your size."

Knives didn't seem to hear Vash.  He picked up the dress and stroked it.  He closed his eyes and could see her wearing it.  He could see her dancing in the garden in the dress.

"Hey… Knives…" Vash poked Knives' shoulder.  Knives turned.

"Let's go," Knives dropped the clothes, including the dress, on the counter in front of the cashier and walked outside.

"Ah…" Vash walked up to the smiling cashier and forfeited his money, "Oh, by the way, are there any really good donut places in this town?"

"Why, yes, actually.  Best ones you ever tasted," the pretty cashier folded the clothes into a bag and smiled again, "At the very end of this street is a little bakery.  You'll smell it before you see it.  It has great everything."

"Thanks a lot," Vash smiled and walked out.  As he did, the store manager walked next to the cashier.

"Who were those guys?" the man squinted out the door, but the men were already gone, "They look familiar…"

The cashier blushed and put her hands over her face, "Whoever they were, I hope they come back!  So handsome… I think their hair was naturally that color too.  And I think they're twins.  Those are rare things to see in men nowadays, aren't they?"

"Yeah, I guess…" the man's eyes bulged, "That's it!"  He pulled a crinkled paper from under the counter and stared at it:

_Vash__ the Stampede and Millions Knives_

_Wanted for $$120,000,000,000_

_Dead or Alive_

_Eye-wittness accounts describe the men as tall, blonde, and handsome._

_They are twins wanted for the destruction of __Dankin_Town___._

_Vash__ the Stampede AKA The Humanoid Typhoon AKA Man Kind's First Act of God has tall, blonde hair, green eyes, a beauty mark under his left eye, and has been seen with wearing a red coat with black buttons and carrying a big silver gun._

_His brother, Millions Knives, has short, light, two-toned, blonde hair and blue eyes.  He's been seen wearing a red and white body suit and carrying a big black gun._

_If you see these men, please contact your local authority quickly!_

"Oh my gosh," the girl gasped, "They match the outlaws' descriptions!"

"Cindy…" the man stammered, "Which way were they heading?"

"A member of our group was protesting in Augusta when Vash the Stampede showed up.  He was herding the people out of the cities, but our group member hid within the city.  Records that the group now had access to due to the increase in funds showed facts about how Vash the Stampede was, indeed, not human.  None of us had been face to face with the man, so when given the opportunity, our group mate chose to risk his life for the truth," Milly set a warm cup of tea in front of Nomi, smiled, and sat down again.  Nomi smiled and continued, "He witnessed the transformation of Master Vash's right arm.  He witnessed the explosion of light.  He witnessed the city being destroyed.  He witnessed the hole being burned into the fifth moon.  The man who had witnessed this all had always been very in tune to the wavelengths of Plants in pain, so when he came back to report to us what he had seen, he stated that when the great light exploded, he could feel the pain of a hundred Plants screaming in their last moment of life.

It was then that the group decided somebody had to make contact with Vash the Stampede.  I had become intrigued with the stories of this man and knew that, if he truly were a Plant with a human body, we were fated to meet."

Knives:  *twitch*  I'm not that creepy!  *realizes he's been petting Vash's hair the entire time*  GEH!

Legato:  KNIVES-SAMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! *glomps*  Ooooh!  My one true love!  How I've waited for the day we could be together again!  insert random rambles here

Wolfwood:  *magical poofing appearance*  HEY!  I thought I was supposed to be revived in this chapter!

Vash:  Weren't you just a skeleton?

Wolfwood:  I'm magic!

Vash:  WOW!  I never knew priests had magical powers!  That's so amazing!  *clasps hands with Wolfwood*  *pink bubbles surround*  There's so much I never knew about you.  Do tell me everything…

Wolfwood:  Oh Vash…  I shall divulge all my secrets to you…

Vash:  Oh Wolfwood…

*Knives anger mark count: 57*

Shesta:  Uh… yeah… next chapter, Wolfwoody.  I swear it.

Wolfwood:  Oh Tongari…

Vash:  Oh Woody…

*Knives anger mark count 543, 544, 545…*  
            *Wolfwood suddenly gets smacked by a flying Legato*

*Knives grabs Vash and runs away cackling evilly.


End file.
